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Dual Survival

54K views 118 replies 67 participants last post by  SirThrivalist 
#1 ·
I know that a lot of people don't watch much tv, myself included. The only things I really watch EVER are Dicovery channel, National Geographic, SciFi, History and Travel Channel. I also know there's no "TV" section, but on the discovery channel tomorrow at 10 pm there's a new survival show called Dual Survival. It has Dave from Wilderness Outfitters and The Pathfinder School on there. It also has Cody Lundin. Looked interesting, they're surviving on two opposite ends of the spectrum. Cody likes to walk around barefoot, for instance, Dave is ex-military.



 
#2 ·
I just saw the preview for this yesterday. It seems that they are keeping this show kinda low-key. I haven't heard much promo for it. I love Cody's books and he is a self-sustaining hippy lol but I like him. In face his book "98.6 degrees" is THE most helpful wilderness survival book I have ever read. And I heard of Dave Canterbury. It should be fun for the entertainment of it but with these two experts it should have decent information also. I can't wait to see it tonite.

The show is probably geared for beginers and might not show anything we don't already know here. The way I see it, any survivalist show is good to wake up more people to preparedness. And that is a good thing. Just be halfway responsible in what you present and I am onboard. 15 years ago and there would be nothing like this on TV.

Watching these two with such different strategies might also be a lot of fun.
 
#4 ·
I watched the show last night and I enjoyed it, it certainly was better than Bear Grylls! I really thought Cody's shelter was ingenious! I never would have thought about that. So while it's very true, it most likely will be geared towards beginners or the uninitiated, I learned something. I am always open to learning something useful. I kept listening to their differing philosophies and I saw merit in both. I tend to lean towards Dave's philosophy but clearly Cody has good knowledge. I don't agree with the barefoot thing, even if I understand WHY he does it. TP
 
#8 ·
I don't agree with the barefoot thing, even if I understand WHY he does it. TP
One thing also, he has been going barefoot for over 20 years. So he is well used to it. Also in extreme cold conditions, it isn't actually a bad idea. On the show you will notice that he was wearing 2 pairs of heavy wool socks. For wet feet in extreme cold weather, this is actually MUCH better than boots. You get less chance of frostbite due to the "wic" effect of the socks. It draws the moisture from the feet, through the wool and onto the outer layer of sock. There it hits the snow and dries off leaving the foot and inner layer dry. With boots, more moisture gets trapped in there making it damp and increasing the chance of frostbite.

yeah the show was good and all but dave made big mistake and made me stop watching as soon as i saw it dave took off into the dark with a fashioned torch made of leaves theres no way in hell im going off in the dark with no way back not sure what happened after that did cody have to go find him or did dave make it back on his own but either way theres no way in hell im walking off into the dark with no light to get back
Why did you stop watching? You should have continued, Cody ripped into him pretty good after that. Rest of the show was really good. But everyone agrees that it was a pretty bad move on Dave's part though. No show is going to do everything you want. But he did make it back with little time to spare.
 
#6 ·
I thought it was a good show ! Both Cody and Dave are extremely knowledgebable survival "instructors". Its interesting to see two opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to survival skills.

I have both of Codys books and have for some time. I would HIGHLY recommend both of those books. Daves book will be coming out soon, and I am sure it will be a good book.
 
#7 ·
yeah the show was good and all but dave made big mistake and made me stop watching as soon as i saw it dave took off into the dark with a fashioned torch made of leaves theres no way in hell im going off in the dark with no way back not sure what happened after that did cody have to go find him or did dave make it back on his own but either way theres no way in hell im walking off into the dark with no light to get back
 
#103 ·
he didnt make a mistake ...he was testing himself ...if you continued to watch he said "i told myself i could make a torch and yes i can sustain it for a short period of time " and thats what he did and he made it back ...the show is very enlightining to the unpracticed survivor and i find it hard to belive that you stopped watching because of this ...
 
#9 ·
My thoughts on the show from the sister thread going on in the General Prep Section:

First commercial break:

So far, I have to say I like it. Dave is no bull. Cody is doing things the way he knows best and staying calm. What I really like actually is the fact that they have to work TOGETHER instead of the "lone survivor" cliche' that is less realistic. So far this show is going itno an aspect that is often not as "romantic"; which is teamwork. The subtle friction between the two and differences of opinions/strategies also makes it more of a realistic situation and more watchable/believable.

Halfway Mark: I have to say that the best part of the show so far is the conflicting points of view and how they are worked out for the team. At first I thought the title "dual survival" was stupid, but now I really see the point of the title and it works. Hunter vs Gathering. Passive vs Agressive. Two completely different ways of going about it, but having to work complementary to each other. *Personal Note* I feel that the "right place" is somewhere between these two extremes.

In my opinion, by far the best show out of this whole recent "crop" of survival shows (Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, Worst Case Scenario, Alaska Experiment etc). Much more useful and has some great inter-survivalist aspects to the show that makes it much more interesting. Two people who know what they are doing, differnet viewpoints, Type A pesonalities working things out. Important to note that these aren't SHTF/EOTWAWKI situaions, but survival and rescue ones.

Dave type or Cody Type: I would be somplace between the two. But I also know that depending on the situation, you may want to be a "Cody" type over a "Dave" type. Long term self-reliance for instance. I think Cody had some important ideas about fuel conservation and consumption. SHTF civil unrest type, I am with "Dave" all the way.
 
#10 ·
just got down to the core of stupidity your going out into the darkness with a torch made from leaves your not just putting your life in danger but the life of the other member of your party cause you know dude would go off looking for him now you got two people lost in the dark in the snow and the cold ill probably watch the next episode put daves stupidity ruined that episode for me
 
#11 ·
Very true. It was clearly a bad choice and shouldn't have been done unless life was on the line. Catch the re-runs though it might be worth your time. Overall it was a very good episode with great practical information. But hey its your right to want to shut it down. Dave did get chewed out for it, though they did show Dave trying to justify himself, though deep down I think he knew it was a rookie movie. Maybe it was camera thing. Personally, I find that the best learning tools are by making mistakes or analyzing someone elses mistakes. So it doesn't upset me that much when I watch something dumb, just makes me think of what I would do instead and think why that mistake was made in the first place.

After that point on the show re-cap:
*SPOILER WARNING*

Cody pretty much surpised the crap out of Dave because the shelter was absolutely amazing (and made Dave eat his words on it), Dave has a successful hunt by chasing down a porcupine and whacking it with an oar, Cody shared a great method of transporting flame long distance, they "share a moment" over eating the porcupine. And of course the rescue fire that was surely staged. Even the commercial had a good tip about finding anteseptic and bandage out in the wild. This we probably already knew, but it was nice to give that to people.

That is about it.
 
#12 ·
Yea all in all I thought it was very informative from a beginner point of view. I loved Cody's shelter, I never would've thought of making a "green house" shelter. In that situation I would've thought like Dave and thought it would've been a sauna, and probably tried to find some big rocks to put near the fire to keep me warm throughout the night. That porcupine hunt was crazy, I was rooting for Dave the whole time lol. I look forward to watching future episodes, hopefully Dave isn't so picky about his food and doesn't take off into the night anymore.
 
#22 ·
Bah, whats all this fuss about Dave taking off into the wild at night.Its a show, now granted in a REAL survival situation that would be a horrible idea.However with the Bear Grylls crew with him the whole time was he really in any danger? I think not. I enjoy Dave, and have watched him on Youtube since his beginning. Cody is....interesting, and while I dont agree with his no shoes policy I respect his lifestyle, because thats what it is,"his" lifestyle.
 
#24 ·
Pardon the pun but I just can't see it under the weather conditions they had. If the moon had been full and the sky clear, going off to check the traps might not have been a bad thing to do. Let your night vision adjust and full moonlight on snow can be almost bright enough to read a book by. A torch just ruins your night vision.
 
#25 ·
Somehow I was rooting for the Porcupine. There is a disclaimer about some of the show being staged and that was a part that looked staged. Just happening upon a critter like that and being able to chase it down and just club it? I doubt it. If it were that easy they'd be extinct like the Dodo .
 
#26 ·
I've eaten clams exatly that way in LI out on the eastern end (with a shot of hot sauce). Freshly dug, they are very very good. I was amazed how Cody (who I've seen vids on you tube) was as capable as he proved to be. I can't stand his new age mindset but damn, he was the real deal, as was Dave.

If not for the snow, would he have had a chance using the oar ?
 
#27 ·
Cody instructs on the way he actually lives his life. Disagreeing with him on the barefoot thing is irrelevant, and pretty arrogant from folks that practice armchair survival. There are very few folks that actually know what they are talking about and practice it. I may not do what he does, but I will not disparage a man that lives his life, being true to himself and his teachings.
 
#30 ·
I just watched it on youtube. Pretty good stuff; show and youtube.
I imagine those big ole boys would clean that tiny island of wild game pretty quick.

It was sure easier with 2 sharing the duties, fire, food, and shelter.

Bear surely had to work hard. He did it all by himself.:rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong. I like Bear. He has a goal; "Get to civilization, ASAP". Plus it's a different kind of TV show.

I've been watch Dave's videos for over a year. He made a haversack!
 
#32 ·
Well like he said, it was his personal choice that he doesn't recommend for everyone. He has been going around shoeless for over 20 years or so he is probaly more comfortable with that than anything else.

Also when travleing in the snow or extreme cold, going around in double layer wool socks can really help dry out any wet feet/condensation buildup in the boots, especially when walking in the snow. It happens through the WIC effect. This is one thing that wool is best for. Moisture gets absorbed through the first layer and into the outerlayer. There it contacts the snow and gets dries out. The inner layer stays fairly dry and the outerlayer wics the rest of the mositre out. And if you noticed by the fire, Cody had more than one pair on.

BTW
, since this is the movie section, did anyone else thing of that movie Survival Quest when watching this? You have the one Worm Eating nature hippie survivalist one one side and the Para Military survivalist on the other LOL Even next week it looks like Cody is digging up worms to eat while Dave scoffs at the idea.
 
#33 ·
Since we seem to have two thread going I will be posting this in both threads. A few months ago Cody Lundin sent out a mass email explaining a few things about the show and should help people put it in the proper perspective.

about my role in the dual survivor show:
september 2009.

to whom it may concern,
teaching survival skills has been my passion and my profession for a very long time. I take this lifestyle choice seriously and strive to give the very best training to my students both in and out of the field. I live my profession, and continuously refine my self-reliant homestead to embody the most effective combination of ancient and modern technologies designed to do more with less. I am acutely aware that my training may some day help decide a student’s fate during a real survival scenario. Unfortunately, even many so-called survival instructors are not burdened by this all important responsibility, (let alone television producers) and over the years, i’ve witnessed hundreds of examples of crappy or flat out dangerous instruction.

please know that i have little if any control over how dual survivor is ultimately concepted, produced, and edited. While all production work involves the efforts of many talented individuals, very few if any of the players involved with this show have any experience in outdoor survival skills. So what happens when “city slickers” design an outdoor survival show? Only time will tell.

i have and will try my best to make the show as authentic and professional as possible – while still being fun to watch! I have and will continue to push this agenda personally and professionally, using the talent and clout of an entertainment attorney as well to further these wishes. Regardless of my efforts – as my grandmother used to say – “whatever will be will be.”

it’s in the spirit of educated hope, faith, and trust that i enter this project; knowing full well that compromises will have to be made. To my students, and somewhat to the readers of my books, you know my training far more intimately than any tv show could portray. It’s to my students that i give undying gratitude. These hearty souls have bothered to get off of their butts and follow me into the mountains and deserts over the years, come what may; desiring to know the truth about survival skills. Decades of students have helped me to achieve a level of competency, “dirt time”, and stark honesty that can never be bought or faked. Thank you!

in short, watch the show, laugh, and learn a survival trick or two. But…never, ever base your emergency preparedness plan on a television show.

sincerely,
cody
 
#36 ·
To be honest - i've known two people in my life who do the 'no boots' thing. Hunting in oct-nov in canada's north with nothing but flip-flops or sandals and shorts (no socks). They live like that most of the year around.

I've always felt they were nuts :) And still do but obviously it can be done and is done, so cody's not as out to lunch as it might seem.

As to dave 'running into the woods' - did you notice that the campfire was always visible in the background? To be perfectly honest i doubt he'd have done that in a real survival situation at all - but i think it makes for some 'dramatic' television and i think they weren't ACTUALLY in a true survival situation (just simulated), and I suspect that's why they did it.
 
#37 ·
I have only seen the first episode, missed last nights. But I am sure Dave's little foray into the dark was for drama and conflict to make the TV show better. It was teaching a survival lesson through it: never leave your camp at night by yourself.

This one kind of make Dave look bad and Cody rips into him, I imagine eventually somewhere they will make Cody look bad too. All part of the show and clever editing.
 
#38 ·
Episode 3 was good don't know if any else caught it. Dave had a good idea, the episode was in the Belizian rainforest and since you can't reall see the sun through the canopy he made a compass out of a couple magnets and a flashlight case protector lens thing. Then they got to the coast and ate an iguana.
 
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